Rays 4, Mets 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Richie Shaffer hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored three runs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-3 win against the New York Mets on Sunday at Tropicana Field.
The win gets the Rays back to .500 for the season (56-56).
Rays starter Chris Archer settled down after a wild second inning and gave up three runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out 11 but walked four -- all in the second inning. Xavier Cedeno pitched the seventh inning and got the win, and Jake McGee recorded his sixth save of the season.
Designated hitter Shaffer, who was called up from Triple-A Durham last week, gave the Rays a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo shot to left-center field off Mets starter Bartolo Colon (10-11).
The Mets (59-52) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second when Archer walked designated hitter Curtis Granderson with the bases loaded and gave up a two-run single to second baseman Daniel Murphy.
Tampa Bay rallied with a run in the bottom of the third when Shaffer scored on a sacrifice fly by left fielder John Jaso.
Jaso tied the game in the fifth inning by hitting a two-run double off Colon that scored Shaffer and center fielder Brandon Guyer
Colon gave up four runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings on 83 pitches (60 strikes). Rays relievers Cedeno, Steve Geltz and McGee combined to give up two hits and strike out four in three innings.
NOTES: Rays OF Desmond Jennings (knee bursitis) is scheduled to play at least five innings in left field Sunday for Triple-A Durham. ... Mets OF Michael Cuddyer went 0-for-4 with a walk in his rehab assignment game for Class A Port St. Lucie. Cuddyer is expected to rejoin the Mets on Monday. Mets manager Terry Collins said Cuddyer's return doesn't guarantee him playing time. "It will all be dictated on play," Collins said. "If you hit, you're in there every day." ... Rays C Curt Casali (head contusion) was not in the lineup Sunday after being removed from Saturday's game when he was hit in the temple on a swing by Mets C Travis D'Arnaud. Casali said D'Arnaud apologized through a text message.